A Mon splinter group that recently signed a ceasefire with the Burmese military government has spent the first two weeks of its new status detained in a Burmese military base. The group will be used to fight other splinter groups.
As reported on October 20th by IMNA, the Mon splinter group Rehmonya, led by Colonel Nai Shaung, signed a ceasefire with the Burmese military State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) at a ceremony on October 16th. Nai Shaung met with senior military officials at the SPDC’s Southeast Command.
While IMNA had reported that Nai Shaung and his family then returned to Ye township, in fact reporters have now confirmed that on October 17th Nai Saung and his Rehmonya splinter group were escorted to, and then confined inside, the SPDC Military Operations Management Command (MOMC) No. 19 base.
A retired member of the NMSP’s Central Committee (CC) who had been close to Nai Shoung, explained, “Nai Shoung wants to see Nai Aung Naing and also Nai Aung Naing wants to see Nai Shoung. However [now] they do not have any opportunity to see each other.” The source explained that as Nai Aung Naing had previously signed a ceasefire, Nai shoung expected to meet the commander of another splinter group that had allied itself with the SPDC.
However, the ex-CC member speculated that the SPDC does not need the two groups to combined or interact, saying, “The military does not need them to be combined. That’s why the military detained him.”
While free from arrest, Nai Shaung and his forces have been effectively confined to MOMC No. 19 for the last two weeks. According to family members, if they hope to meet with the Rehmonya colonel, he must speak with the senior officer in charge who then questions the applying visitor about the purpose of their visit. Only then can the guests speak to Nai Shaung, and only in the presence of an SPDC officer. They were only able to meet after multiple requests were made to visit Nai Shaung.
“We heard that the government’s trusted servant Nai Shoung [has been] ordered to fight armed groups who are around south Ye township,” a senior NMSP official explained. “We don’t think it is because they [SPDC] didn’t want him [to work with] militia’s which he likes. We think Nai Shaung [is detained] because he wants to set up his group some place, with military help, North of ye township.”
The NMSP official stated that Nai Shoung left the NMSP after he exhibited poor discipline when following orders. Nai Shoung formed the Remonnya group in May this year, prior to which he split from the NMSP in February. Nai Shoung left the NMSP with only 10 men under his command, according to NMSP sources. Since Rehmonya has been active along the Thai-border and Tanintharyi division.
According to sources close to Nai Shaung, the Rehmonya group has neither received weapons from the SPDC or training at MOMC No. 19.
According to previous reports on Rehmonya’s troop strength, the group suffers from both low membership and limited firepower. During September, the Remonnya group surrendered weapons to the Mon splitter group Nai Chan Dein, (a faction opposed to the SPDC).
According to the retired CC member, “The latest news we’ve heard is that two days ago the military sent Nai Shoung back to Southeast Command [without Rehmonya soldiers].”
